Pharaoh Amen-hotep IV, a.k.a. Akhenaton (reigned 1379-1362 B.C.E.): from The Hymn to the Sun

You appear on the horizon, glorious
sun, begetter of life.
When you rise in the eastern sky,
you fill the whole world with your beauty.
Though you are far away,
you send your light to the earth;
though you shine on men’s faces,
your pathways cannot be seen.
You graciously appear, and the darkness
vanishes, and all beings rejoice,
and you shine out to the limits
of everything that you made.
Men wake and stand on their feet,
they wash and put on their clothing
and lift up their arms to thank you,
then go out to their day of work.
Cattle browse in the pastures,
trees and grasses flourish,
geese flutter in the marshes
and stretch out their wings to the sky
in adoration of you,
sheep dance on their hooves,
birds fly into the air
and rejoice that you shine upon them,
fish in the river leap up
before you, and your rays plunge
into the great green sea.
Creator of the seed in women,
you care for the unborn child,
you soothe him so he doesn’t cry,
you nurse him even in the womb,
you bring him into the air,
you open his mouth and give him
everything that he needs.
When the chick cries through the eggshell,
you send him the breath of life
and bring his form to completion;
he pecks his way out and stands up
chirping with all his might
and walks on his two feet.

How manifold is your creation,
O one and only God!
How beautiful is this world
created as your heart desired it
when you were all alone!
How beautiful is this world,
with its millions of living creatures
all people, all animals and plants,
whoever walks on the earth
or flies in the heavens above it.